Thursday, February 21, 2008

Now that we've seen the Yeti crab, "Giant sea creatures, including sea spiders the size of dinner plates and jellyfish with six-metre long tentacles, have been found by Australian scientists in the deep waters around Antarctica.Huge worms and giant crustaceans have been filmed during an expedition whichtrawled the floor of the Southern Ocean almost a mile below thesurface. Many of the animals could not be identified and are to be sentto labs, possibly to be classed as newly discovered species."[The Guardian]the expedition was lead by Dr. Martin Riddle, and found some fascinating creatures:Brightly coloured coralline, bryozoans andsponges sit on the ocean floor at a depth of about 600 metres (1970feet) on the Antarctic continental shelf are shown in this handoutimage made available on February 19, 2008. Scientists studyingAntarctic waters have filmed and captured giant sea creatures and anunknown species of sea life. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

Animals known as tunicates whichlook like metre-tall glass tulips sit on the ocean floor at a depth ofabout 220 metres (722 feet) on the Antarctic continental shelf areshown in this handout image made available on February 19, 2008.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

Sponges, gorgonians and lacecorals sit on the ocean floor at a depth of about 400 metres (1310feet) on the Antarctic continental shelf in this handout image madeavailable on February 19, 2008. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)(all images from theXinhua website) TheCBC's coverageis roughly similar.You can get an idea of what the Collaborative East Antarctic Marine Census is up to inthis PDF. And theCAML (Census of Antarctic Marine Life) website has some interesting video footage as well.

We are in the middle of theInternational Polar Year: "The International Polar Year is a large scientific programme focused on the Arctic and the Antarctic from March 2007 to March 2009."

There's some video footagehere, and the Australian Antarctic Division press release ishere.

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

But I sure didn't. Ian Sample, writing in The Guardian on Thursday, November 30th 2006 (and updated October 11th 2007), writes about the 2000-year-old computer salvaged from a Roman shipwreck that has been reconstructed. Turns out to be a highly sophisticated astronomical calendar "capable of tracking with remarkable precision the position of the sun, several heavenly bodies and the phases of the moon." It is suggested that it dates back to 150-100 BCE and, among other things, can track the irregular orbit of the moon. A truly fascinating story and mind-bending discovery.

Friday, February 08, 2008

if this is for real. Lord knows, it sounds like most Canadian Conservative politicians, but who can tell if it's a set up or for real? Judge for yourself (warning, unrestrained laughter or tears may result from viewing this video).